The Chainlink

Chicago Tribune article on 'dooring' accidents

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/traffic/ct-met-...

At least doorings are getting some exposure.

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Permalink Reply by Active Transportation Alliance on March 21, 2011 at 9:38am

This is part of an effort we've been pushing. We've asked for dooring stories in a previous Chainlink discussion.

 

Our hope is that IDOT will change it's policy so we that we can increase awareness and safety of this issue.

 

If not, we'll push for legislation to change the policy.

 

Thanks,

Ethan Spotts, Marketing & Communications Director, Active Trans

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on March 21, 2011 at 11:24am
I was glad to see this story, especially on the front page.  Items like this can make a difference in increasing awareness and improving safety.
Permalink Reply by Joel on March 21, 2011 at 1:58pm
Of course if you read the comments you will see that most people are blaming the cyclists for hitting their cars.
Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on March 21, 2011 at 2:32pm
Well, if they weren't taking up physical space, they wouldn't be able to get hit with car doors!  It's simple physics really.

Joel said:
Of course if you read the comments you will see that most people are blaming the cyclists for hitting their cars.
Permalink Reply by globalguy on March 21, 2011 at 3:02pm
While I certainly disagree with cadgers who simply weren't looking and still blame us victims (dooredx3), I gotta' say that aligning bike lanes along the driver's exit side of parked cars is insane. It might be a "good" fix for now but over the long-term urban planners should pursue different traffic layouts like having bikes lanes run down the middle of streets or ... oh horror of horrors ... physically separate lanes for cages and bikers!
Permalink Reply by Dr. Doom on March 21, 2011 at 3:12pm

Newspaper comments are worse than Youtube comments.

That said, while I applaud the publicity efforts, there needs to be some more cyclist education, too. (Not blaming the victim here, just saying we have to deal with the reality that people in cars act like psychos.) I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone blowing down the street at top speed in the door zone paying no attention to what's going on around them, predictably coming within inches of death, and then acting all surprised. The best way to not be doored is not to ride within reach of doors; a lot of people don't seem to realize that for whatever reason.

Also, yeah, a lot of the problem is placing bike lanes along the driver's exit side. It's really stupid.

Permalink Reply by Joe Willis on March 21, 2011 at 3:51pm

Some of the comments from this article just infuriate me!

 

"With bicycles causing so much damage to our cars, why aren't they forced to carry insurance?"

 

"Anyone dumb enough to ride a bile on a street with cars is dumb enough to jump in the middle of those cars. Go ahead, I don't even smoke, but I would buy a pack just to have some to flick at you as I pass you."

 

"The answer really is very simple, bikes and cars should never share the same space, it's too dangerous. Thereby bikes should never e allowed on our streets, they were designed for cars.

If the people on the bikes are too stupid to stay off the roads, we need to make laws the force them off."

 

"Very sad story but cyclists should not be permitted on any roadway.  Roads weren't designed for bikes and allowing them will only lead to more stories like this."

 

"

While we are at it, the state & city of Chicago should enforce traffic laws on cyclists that run afoul of them. They are subject to them and the cops rarely enforce it.

Cyclists should also be required to carry an operator's licence, the same as operators of motorized vehicles. Their bicycles should also be licensed, making it easier to identify violators to law enforcement.

And we should also demand that cyclists be required to carry the same minimum liabilty requirement that operators of motorized vehicles are.

After all.....they use these streets and roads, they should be helping to pay the frieght to maintain them as well as the purpose built "bike only" features being added to them.

(...and spare me the "cyclists are more efficient" sobbing. The pedestrian whose hip you've broken doesn't car how "green" you are, and neither does the motorist whose vehicle you've damaged by running that red light or stop sign.)"

 

I will now need to stay off the street for the rest of the day so my anger and disappointment does not turn into bike rage! I wish these suburbanites would just show some courtesy for human life!

 

Permalink Reply by Mike Keating on March 21, 2011 at 4:14pm

I wrote a blog post on this subject on www.ILBicycleLaw.com.

 

All riders should remember that just because the police don't issue a ticket against the motorist, that doesn't mean you don't have the ability to pursue the wrongdoer in a civil case. There are still options under the law that protect you.

 

As for IDOT, I want to know if I punched one of them while sitting down if they wouldn't not consider it a crime. After all, it's not a "crash" unless the car is moving. Why would it be any different as long as I was not moving?

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on March 21, 2011 at 6:02pm

I Love those little thumbs up/thumbs down buttons.

 

Use them.  That's the only way to show these idiots who say that it's the bicycle's fault they got doored and to get off the road and back on the sidewalk. 

 

Vote 'em down.

Permalink Reply by Bike Bloke on March 22, 2011 at 9:50am
Yes, I couldn't believe how incredibly ignorant those comments from some motorists were.

Joe Willis said:

Some of the comments from this article just infuriate me!

 

"With bicycles causing so much damage to our cars, why aren't they forced to carry insurance?"

 

"Anyone dumb enough to ride a bile on a street with cars is dumb enough to jump in the middle of those cars. Go ahead, I don't even smoke, but I would buy a pack just to have some to flick at you as I pass you."

 

"The answer really is very simple, bikes and cars should never share the same space, it's too dangerous. Thereby bikes should never e allowed on our streets, they were designed for cars.

If the people on the bikes are too stupid to stay off the roads, we need to make laws the force them off."

 

"Very sad story but cyclists should not be permitted on any roadway.  Roads weren't designed for bikes and allowing them will only lead to more stories like this."

 

"

While we are at it, the state & city of Chicago should enforce traffic laws on cyclists that run afoul of them. They are subject to them and the cops rarely enforce it.

Cyclists should also be required to carry an operator's licence, the same as operators of motorized vehicles. Their bicycles should also be licensed, making it easier to identify violators to law enforcement.

And we should also demand that cyclists be required to carry the same minimum liabilty requirement that operators of motorized vehicles are.

After all.....they use these streets and roads, they should be helping to pay the frieght to maintain them as well as the purpose built "bike only" features being added to them.

(...and spare me the "cyclists are more efficient" sobbing. The pedestrian whose hip you've broken doesn't car how "green" you are, and neither does the motorist whose vehicle you've damaged by running that red light or stop sign.)"

 

I will now need to stay off the street for the rest of the day so my anger and disappointment does not turn into bike rage! I wish these suburbanites would just show some courtesy for human life!

 

Permalink Reply by Davo on March 22, 2011 at 10:49am

I may just be infering here but, it seems to me that the people posting about regulating bikes (registration, insurance...) are probably the same people who complain about the gov't getting too big and that regulation of business is a bad idea.

So they want big gov't but only if its big in their way.

Is that having your cake and eating it too?

Permalink Reply by Mike Keating on March 22, 2011 at 2:56pm

Great point, Davo.

 

If you check out the Chicago Tribune website, the comments are by the same group of people over and over. The comments are what can objectively be classified as "right wing." Almost any subject ends up being about 2nd Amendment rights and President Obama.

 

I wouldn't read into the comments too much. You'll drive yourself crazy.

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